Clinton Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison on Drug and Gun Charges
Defendant Caught With Gun and Drugs Soon After He Won Appeal in Earlier State Case
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte sentenced Jeffrey Rios, age 21, of Clinton, Maryland, today to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and marijuana, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Theresa R. Stoop of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Baltimore Field Division; Chief Roberto L. Hylton of the Prince George’s County Police Department and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey.
“Jeffrey Rios was caught with a loaded .40 caliber handgun, crack cocaine and marijuana a few months after he prevailed on appeal in an earlier state case and won a favorable plea bargain,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “In this case, there is no doubt that the defendant was an armed drug dealer and there is no question that he will spend most of the next decade in prison.”
“Mr. Rios will now spend the next ten years in a federal prison, far away from his family, friends, and associates,” says ATF’s Special Agent in Charge Theresa R. Stoop. “We are confident that in putting this violent offender away for this significant time, ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department have given justice to the community, and those officers involved in the totality of Rios’ actions.”
“This is the right result and an example of the excellent outcomes from our state - federal partnership in the Exile program,” said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey.
According to Rios’ guilty plea, on October 21, 2009, Prince George’s County Police detectives were conducting surveillance in the 3400 block of Pearl Drive in Suitland, Maryland, in an effort to serve an outstanding warrant. Detectives saw the wanted individual leave an apartment building accompanied by Jeffrey Rios. As the two started to enter a car in the parking lot, detectives approached and ordered the men to the ground. Rios dropped the jacket he was carrying and tossed what appeared to be a handgun under the car next to where he had been standing. Officers recovered a loaded Glock .40 caliber handgun from underneath the car where Rios had tossed it. Rios was arrested and searched. Officers recovered a bag with over three ounces of crack cocaine in a large, unbroken “cookie” from Rios’ left front pants pocket and almost an ounce of marijuana from his jacket.
On July 27, 2009, Rios entered an Alford plea in Prince George’s County Circuit Court to reckless endangerment, in connection with a 2007 incident in which Rios allegedly pointed a semiautomatic handgun and shot at three plainclothes Prince George’s County Police officers in an unmarked car. The plea was entered after the Maryland Court of Special Appeals reversed the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County and ordered the state to accept the Alford plea. As part of the plea, Rios did not admit the allegations, but agreed that the state had enough evidence to convict him and was sentenced to the 100 days he had already served in jail.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the ATF, Prince George’s County Police Department and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorney Adam K. Ake, who prosecuted the case.
